End of Summer, and New Beginnings
WOW! Why is it that summer is the only season which flies by? You never wake up one early morning in April and look around a little confused, thinking “Spring Already? Winter was just getting good”.
We had a great summer here on the Half Acre, though, as usual, we didn’t do everything we had hoped and planned for.
We had fun camping, backpacking, playing in the river, and traveling, with enough work tossed in to afford it all.
But it looks like it’ll be next spring for the house painting, and the new landscaping out front.
The garden never does what I think it will. Each year something new provides more than enough, while something I thought would do well fizzles. This year the green beans are the clear winner. We didn’t do too badly for tomatoes and potatoes either, but the carrots and celery never took off, and the “super heat tolerant” lettuce bolted after the first week of 90 degree weather.
The baby chicks grew up and are happily hiding eggs around the farm. It seems we need to build one or two more nesting boxes so that they’ll (hopefully) start laying in the coop.
My “baby” started school this year. I have mixed feelings about that. On the one hand, I know she resists learning from me, so it might be good for her to have a “real” teacher. On the other hand, as most of you know, I’d rather be homeschooling so I kind of feel like her starting school is the door slamming on that dream. BUT there is good news to go with the bittersweet.
My husband is finally on board with the idea of my leaving my Fish and Wildlife job! We still need me to provide a little income though, so I’ve accepted a job at the kids’ school. After this week I’ll officially be on the same schedule and in the same building as my kids, and while I won’t be with them all day, I can look in on them at lunch or snag a quick hug in the hall. And can you say SUMMER BREAK?! I’m so looking forward to this!
While I’m a little sad that I might not be hiking, fishing, and playing in the great outdoors for work anymore, this new opportunity will line up with motherhood so much better. It eliminates most of our daycare needs, lets me have the same days off as the kids, allows time for leading Camp Fire, driving to soccer practice, and just “being there” for the kids.
Fall always has an air of excitement for me, but this year the air has an extra tickle of new possibilities!
What’s new on your homestead?